Suffolk kingfisher migrated from Poland

Record breaking kingfisher found in Suffolk
October 2011. A kingfisher found at the National Trust's Orford Ness Nature Reserve on the Suffolk coast looks likely to have broken the UK record for furthest migration of the species.

The kingfisher was caught and released by members of Landguard Bird Observatory as part of their routine bird ringing studies at the site and is thought to have travelled in excess of 1,000km from Poland.

This breaks the previous record set by a British kingfisher which was ringed in Marloes, Pembrokeshire, and found in Irun, Spain, having travelled around 970km. It is also the most easterly discovery in the UK, with other foreign recoveries coming from France, Belgium, The Netherlands and Germany.

Mike Marsh, Volunteer Ringer for the Landguard Bird Observatory, said: "We catch a small number of kingfishers each year at Orford Ness, usually in the autumn, and previously assumed that these had been dispersing juveniles of fairly local origin.

"This will be one of the longest migrations among the kingfishers in the ringing database and we can't wait to get confirmation of the record from the British Trust for Ornithology and hear about the Polish ringing scheme."

A few migrate
Kingfishers are a resident breeding species in the UK but each year a small number migrate here from the continent, probably moving away from places with prolonged freezing conditions in the winter.

The last kingfisher ringed from abroad and found in the UK was on 29 October 2008 and had travelled 819km from Aken in Germany.

Grant Lohoar, Orford Ness site manager for the National Trust, said: "This is a great record for us, but something we wouldn't have known about if this bird hadn't been ringed, thanks to our expert volunteers. This highlights the importance of ringing as a tool for conservation which allows us to identify birds as individuals. Orford Ness is a really important stop-over site for many migrating birds, as they can refuel and rest on the marshes, in the reedbeds or on the many lagoons we have here."

Kingfishers are generally found near still or slow flowing water on perches from where they hunt, commonly swooping down to the water to catch small fish such as minnow and stickleback.

The longest lived kingfisher according to ringing recoveries is four years, six months and 13 days, which was set in 1969.

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/kingfisher-migration.html

Weymouth nature centre is staging a kingfisher quest

12:40pm Wednesday 15th September 2010
By Ruth Meech

GRAB the opportunity to see one of our most stunning and rare birds in its natural habitat.

The RSPB at Weymouth Wetlands is hosting a Kingfisher Quest this weekend at the Radipole Lake nature reserve.

Staff and volunteers will be strategically placed as ‘spotters’ around the site, ready to radio in to HQ if there’s a good chance of seeing this exquisite bird.

The shy kingfisher is iconic and one of our most recognisable birds, with an electric blue back, crown and wings of greenish-blue, rich, orange-red underparts and cheeks, white cheek patches and throat, coral red legs and feet, and a long, dark bill.

But it has a habit of perching motionless in the dappled shade of vegetation overhanging rippling water, waiting for its prey, and the different play of light and shade can render it virtually invisible.

“Despite the harsh winter, which could have affected their numbers, we are seeing kingfishers here on an almost daily basis,” said assistant reserve warden Nick Quintrell.

“The second phase of the restoration of Weymouth Wetlands has just begun but fish populations here started to increase soon after we finished the first phase of the work last autumn and the sheer numbers of fish it now supports, including minnows and sticklebacks, is simply staggering. They’re just the right food prey for kingfishers.”

Although they are often elusive, kingfishers will occasionally perch in the open and Radipole Lake has a number of well-placed branches where you can watch the bird at close range – a breathtaking experience. If there’s no perch around, the kingfisher can hover to rival a hummingbird.

Nick added: “These birds have favourite fishing places and perches so with our ‘spotters’ on location this weekend, we have high hopes that people who come along will be lucky enough to see one.”

At around 18cm, the kingfisher is barely bigger than a house sparrow.

When it has spotted its prey, it will dive vertically from its perch, beat its wings to gain speed and then tuck them tight into its body before hitting the water like a dart and with an audible splash.

As it hits the water, protective membranes sweep across its eyes so it is effectively hunting blind. The bird then dives down to its predetermined depth and grabs the fish with its open bill. A nesting pair with a hungry brood can catch around 100 fish a day.

The kingfisher nests by excavating a tunnel up to a metre long in a sandy bank, which ends in a chamber where the young are reared.

Nick said: “Part of the first phase of the restoration of Weymouth Wetlands was to build an artificial nesting wall for sand martins, with lots of small holes. It is feasible that kingfishers could use the same site, especially if we fill in one or two of the holes so that they can excavate the nests for themselves.

“Normally after diving, the kingfisher will return to the perch, strike the fish against it to kill it and then swallow it headfirst. So a good clue as to whether birds are breeding in an area is if the fish is carried away from the perch with the head protruding from the bird’s bill. That way, they can present it headfirst, either as a courtship gift or as food for their young.

“There are between 5,000 to 8,000 breeding pairs of kingfishers in the UK but they are amber-listed across Europe, which means they are of conservation concern. So we live in hope that we can encourage them to breed here at Weymouth Wetlands.”

Weymouth Wetlands’ Kingfisher Quest is on Saturday and Sunday, from 10am until 3pm. Visit the Radipole Lake visitor centre at the Swannery or call 01305 778313.

http://www.dorsetecho.co.uk/news/8392185.Weymouth_nature_centre_is_staging_a_kingfisher_quest/
(Submitted by Jonathan McGowan)

Weymouth nature centre is staging a kingfisher quest

12:40pm Wednesday 15th September 2010
By Ruth Meech

GRAB the opportunity to see one of our most stunning and rare birds in its natural habitat.

The RSPB at Weymouth Wetlands is hosting a Kingfisher Quest this weekend at the Radipole Lake nature reserve.

Staff and volunteers will be strategically placed as ‘spotters’ around the site, ready to radio in to HQ if there’s a good chance of seeing this exquisite bird.

The shy kingfisher is iconic and one of our most recognisable birds, with an electric blue back, crown and wings of greenish-blue, rich, orange-red underparts and cheeks, white cheek patches and throat, coral red legs and feet, and a long, dark bill.

But it has a habit of perching motionless in the dappled shade of vegetation overhanging rippling water, waiting for its prey, and the different play of light and shade can render it virtually invisible.

“Despite the harsh winter, which could have affected their numbers, we are seeing kingfishers here on an almost daily basis,” said assistant reserve warden Nick Quintrell.

“The second phase of the restoration of Weymouth Wetlands has just begun but fish populations here started to increase soon after we finished the first phase of the work last autumn and the sheer numbers of fish it now supports, including minnows and sticklebacks, is simply staggering. They’re just the right food prey for kingfishers.”

Although they are often elusive, kingfishers will occasionally perch in the open and Radipole Lake has a number of well-placed branches where you can watch the bird at close range – a breathtaking experience. If there’s no perch around, the kingfisher can hover to rival a hummingbird.

Nick added: “These birds have favourite fishing places and perches so with our ‘spotters’ on location this weekend, we have high hopes that people who come along will be lucky enough to see one.”

At around 18cm, the kingfisher is barely bigger than a house sparrow.

When it has spotted its prey, it will dive vertically from its perch, beat its wings to gain speed and then tuck them tight into its body before hitting the water like a dart and with an audible splash.

As it hits the water, protective membranes sweep across its eyes so it is effectively hunting blind. The bird then dives down to its predetermined depth and grabs the fish with its open bill. A nesting pair with a hungry brood can catch around 100 fish a day.

The kingfisher nests by excavating a tunnel up to a metre long in a sandy bank, which ends in a chamber where the young are reared.

Nick said: “Part of the first phase of the restoration of Weymouth Wetlands was to build an artificial nesting wall for sand martins, with lots of small holes. It is feasible that kingfishers could use the same site, especially if we fill in one or two of the holes so that they can excavate the nests for themselves.

“Normally after diving, the kingfisher will return to the perch, strike the fish against it to kill it and then swallow it headfirst. So a good clue as to whether birds are breeding in an area is if the fish is carried away from the perch with the head protruding from the bird’s bill. That way, they can present it headfirst, either as a courtship gift or as food for their young.

“There are between 5,000 to 8,000 breeding pairs of kingfishers in the UK but they are amber-listed across Europe, which means they are of conservation concern. So we live in hope that we can encourage them to breed here at Weymouth Wetlands.”

Weymouth Wetlands’ Kingfisher Quest is on Saturday and Sunday, from 10am until 3pm. Visit the Radipole Lake visitor centre at the Swannery or call 01305 778313.

http://www.dorsetecho.co.uk/news/8392185.Weymouth_nature_centre_is_staging_a_kingfisher_quest/
(Submitted by Jonathan McGowan)